Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Art of Thanksgiving and The Art of Leadership

-excerpt from the book, “The Art of Living” by Wilferd A. Peterson.

The Art of Thanksgiving

The art of thanksgiving is thanksliving. It is gratitude in action. It is applying Albert Schweitzer’s philosophy: “In gratitude for you own good fortune you must render in return some sacrifice of your life for other life.”

It is thanking God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly.

It is thanking God for your talents and abilities by accepting them as obligations to be invested for the common good.

It is thanking God for all that men and women have done for you by doing things for others.

It is thanking God for opportunities by accepting them as a challenge to achievement.

It is thanking God for happiness by striving to make others happy.

It is thanking God for beauty by trying to make the world more beautiful.

It is thanking God for inspiration by trying to be an inspiration to others.

It is thanking God for health and strength by the care and reverence you show your body.

It is thanking God for the creative ideas that enrich life by adding your own creative contributions to human progress.

It is thanking God for each new day by living it to the fullest.

It is thanking God by giving hands, arms, legs, and voice to your thankful spirit.

It is adding your prayers of thanksgiving, acts of thanksliving.

The Art of Leadership

The leader is a servant. As the Master of Men expressed it, “And whosoever would be chief among you, let him be your servant.”

The leader sees through the eyes of the followers.

The leader says, “Let’s go!” and leads the way rather than “Get going!”

The leader assumes his followers are working with him, not for him. He sees that they share in the rewards and glorifies the team spirit.

The leader is a man builder. The more men he can build, the stronger the organization will be, himself included.

The leader has faith in people. He believes in them, trusts them, and thus draws out the best in them.

The leader uses his heart as well as his head.

The leader plans and sets things in motion. He is a man of action as well as a man of thought.

The leader has a sense of humor. He has a humble spirit and can laugh at himself.

The leader can be led. He is not interested in having his own way, but in finding the best way. He has an open mind.

The leader keeps his eyes on high goals. He strives to make the efforts of his followers and himself contribute to the enrichment of personality, the achievement of more abundant living for all, and the improvement of all.

Followers

Book Lists for Leaders

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE by Rick Warren THE FIVE TEMPTATIONS OF A CEO by Patrick Lencioni THE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM by Patrick Lencioni THE FOUR OBSESSIONS OF AN EXTRAORDINARY ADMINISTRATOR by Patrick Lencioni THE THREE SIGNS OF A MISERABLE JOB by Patrick Lencioni >GETTING THINGS DONE by David Allen >WOODEN, A LIFETIME OF OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS ON AND OFF THE COURT >COACH WOODEN ONE ON ONE by John Wooden and Jay Carty >WOODEN ON LEADERSHIP***** >THE ESSENTIAL WOODEN***** >YOU HAVEN’T TAUGHT UNTIL THEY HAVE LEARNED…John Wooden’s Teaching Principles & Practices by Swen Nater & Ronald Gallimore***** INCH AND MILES by Coach Wooden for young children…..Pyramid of Success >TRAINING SOCCER CHAMPIONS by Anson Dorrance >THE MAN WATCHING by Tim Crothers (Four years with Anson Dorrance) >QUIET STRENGTH by Tony Dungy THE ART OF WAR by Sun Tzu……Edited by Samuel Griffith (Bob Knight Favorite) >EXECUTION by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan THE LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF BILLY GRAHAM by Myra and Shelley LETTERS BY A MODERN MYSTIC by Frank C. Laubach STARTING YOUR DAY RIGHT, Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer PRAYER, A HOLY OCCUPATION by Oswald Chambers THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD by brother Lawrence MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST JOURNAL by Oswald Chambers***** GOD CALLING JOURNAL edited by A. J. Russell……….Geared to women readers THE SHACK by William P. Young…Gets to your inner being…Order @ www.theshackbook.com THE JOURNEY by Billy Graham >WHEN THE GAME IS OVER IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX by John Ortberg >THE LAST LECTURE by Randy Pausch…...He says it all in his last lecture >GRACE FOR THE MOMENT DAILY BIBLE by Max Lucado (Great study Bible) >GOOD TO GREAT by Jim Collins BLEACHERS by John Grisham MAKE THE BIG TIME WHERE YOU ARE by Frosty Westering (253/531-3672) FIRST THINGS FIRST by Covey, Merrill, and Merrill WHAT THEY DON’T TEACH YOU AT THE HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL by Mark McCormack TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom >THE JESUS STYLE by Gayle Dean Erwin (Great on Team Work and Servant Leadership) THE ART OF LIVING by Wilferd Peterson LEADERSHIP PRAYERS by Richard Kriegbaum THE ONLY NECESSARY THING....Living A Prayerful Life by Henri Nouwen, Edited by Wendy Wilson Greer The Crossroad Publishing Company 1001 MOTIVATION MESSAGES AND QUOTES FOR ATHLETES AND COACHES By Bruce Brown, Order at www.coacheschoiceweb.com >THE SERVANT....A Simple Story About The True Essence of Leadership by James C. Hunter (A Coach John Wooden favorite) THE ART OF LIVING…The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus